The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives. We hope you can use their post to start a conversation with your adolescent.
So as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I struggle with binge eating, depression, and anxiety. Some days it can be SO mentally draining. A lot of my closer friends don’t share the same struggles that I do, or none at all. Thinking about this during some of my lows make me wonder, “why me?”
Of course everyone has their own issues that they struggle with, but some are more consistent or apparent than others. When looking at friends who, from the outside, appear to have it all together, (good body image, parents still together, boyfriends, healthy relationships with food) it makes me wonder why the universe gave me the issues I have.
I like to believe I’m a good person. I stand up for what is right and fight for those who need help fighting, but am still faced with struggles that are so heavy to carry most days. Some days it can be hard to get out of bed. I almost feel that if my issues and body image went away, so would all my issues. If I wasn’t overweight, then maybe I’d have a boyfriend or more friends, etc. We all know looks aren’t everything in a relationship, but sometimes I feel like I will never be able to overcome my struggles. Sometimes I feel like the “fat friend,” the basic movie stereotype. The excess weight is a constant reminder to me that I don’t think I’ll ever feel good enough in my own skin.
I want to over come these issues and rise above them, but some days are so much harder than others.
Has your child ever frequently brought up issues that they’re facing about themselves? What did you tell them in response? What would you do differently?